Abstract

We have used the Stark-cell stabilization technique to control and tune a CO₂ laser employed to pump a CH₂F₂ submillimeter wave laser at 214 μm. The selected Stark resonances are the 4₂₃ ← 5₂₄, ΔM = −1 transitions of the ν₉ vibrational band of CH₂F₂. With a cell length of 255 mm, an electrode spacing of 389.6 μm, and a gas pressure of 250 mTorr, we achieve on the 9R34 CO₂ line a frequency stability of ±1 MHz over a usable 60-MHz tuning range. On the M = 1 → 2 transition, we observe a tuning rate of 2.7 MHz mm/V in good agreement with the calculated value from known spectroscopic constants. The technique is fairly general and can be applied with the same Stark gas to several other CO₂ pumping lines.

© 1986 Optical Society of America

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